Do the people who get all hot and bothered in their opposition to all-gender restrooms ever stop to think that all restrooms on airplanes are all-gender? In flight, passengers just hop into whatever lavatory is available and lock the door behind them. Why shouldn’t that be the norm in airports and beyond? (It’s also true on buses—but bus restrooms are not to be discussed in polite society.)
Yet in many airports, all-gender airport washrooms are a new and novel phenomenon (I’ll mention exceptions later), opened with fanfare and a dash of controversy.
Here are 10 international airports that boast all-gender restrooms in some, if not all of their terminals. (In honour of the United States being home to most of the controversies around this issue—there are only about 10 U.S. airports that have multi-user facilities—I’m using “restroom” rather than the washroom, bathroom, WC or toilet.)
Kansas City International Airport, Missouri
In February 2023, KCI opened a new terminal to replace its 1970s-era terminals, a move that very quickly earned it a ranking in Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of top airports in the United States. The shiny new complex includes two multi-user all-gender restrooms in the passenger area, one with 28 stalls, one with 24, in addition to eight sets of gender-separated restrooms. Each new toilet stall has a real door and walls that extend from floor to ceiling, making it completely private, while the sinks are in a communal area. All the stalls in the new airport are roomy, giving users space to squeeze in luggage and giving parents and caregivers the room to be with their children. One of the stated goals was to be more fair to women passengers, who often faced long lineups during the after-flight rush to go.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington
SEA opened two all-gender restrooms in July 2023, supplementing its 15 gender-specific restrooms during a revamp of a concourse. (How can there be an odd number of gendered restrooms? Because one of the gender-specific restrooms has a single entrance with users turning in different directions, depending on gender.) The US$62-million restroom renovation project has 10 locking, single-person stalls separated by floor-to-ceiling walls, two wheelchair-accessible rooms, a separate urinal area obscured by frosted glass and a shared sink area. Part of the motivation was to streamline the passenger experience and to allow all caregivers to feel comfortable providing assistance, particularly when the all-family washrooms aren’t available. The exterior features artwork by LGBTQ2S+ artists.
Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey
If Kansas thought it got a lot of attention with its new terminal, Newark’s new US$2.7-billion Terminal A, which has been opening in phases since 2023, made it to the top of a “world’s best airport” list. But it was the renovated all-gender restrooms at EWR’s 1970s-era Terminal B that were 2022 finalists for a well-regarded America’s Best Restroom contest. The Terminal B design allowed the airport to increase the number of toilets while also increasing privacy. Their design has also got a real cool factor. If you’re noticing a trend in U.S. airport renovations and expansions, you’re correct—the Biden administration’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping pay for many of these projects.
San Francisco International Airport, California
Living up to its reputation as a leader in LGBTQ2S+ policies, San Francisco’s Harvey Milk Terminal, named after the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, opened in 2019. It proudly featured a statement-making all-gender washroom, in addition to single-stall restrooms through the airport. The facility is signed “Anyone may use this restroom” in several languages. Bonus: SFO’s website also has resources for trans and gender non-conforming guests, to help them navigate the airport’s security and immigration procedures.
Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada
Canada’s busiest airport opened a new all-gender washroom in its Terminal 1 arrivals area in 2021 with little fanfare. While U.S. airports (except SFO) typically announced that they installed all-gender washrooms to increase efficiency and reduce waiting—that is, steering away from gender-identity controversies—YYZ states that its motivation was diversity and inclusion. The washrooms have touchless, motion-activated door openers—in fact, all the fixtures are touchless. Each stall has a locking door, floor-to-ceiling walls and, in a dash of extravagance, its own sink.
Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom
Each of the restroom facilities throughout each of the four operational terminals (Terminal 1 hasn’t been in use since 2015) at this behemoth airport has a unisex stall. Additionally, there are “inclusive toilets in selected areas in all terminals…for parents, people with disabilities including hidden disabilities, caretakers, people of all gender identities or anyone who’d feel more comfortable using them over gender specific toilets.”
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Schiphol offers all-gender restrooms in various locations through its single mega-terminal. Perhaps in answer to critics who claim that all-gender restrooms are confusing, AMS participated in a 2021 study about signage for its all-gender restrooms, asking 223 people which of four pictograms best communicated: “Here’s a restroom for everybody.” That would be in lieu of the gendered human figures usually used to label gender-specific restrooms. The vast majority picked a stylized picture of a toilet—as obvious as it gets. About 76 percent of respondents said they were comfortable using all-gender restrooms, 20 percent would prefer a gendered restroom (but would use an all-gender one) and four percent said they were not comfortable using all-gender restrooms.
Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, Denmark
Inaugurated in 1925, CPH is one of the oldest international airports in Europe, with various expansions and refurbishings over the decades. Despite its age, it has all-gender restroom facilities located throughout its two terminals. Notable? Not really. This is a trick list entry—in Scandinavian countries, all-gender restrooms are not a new thing and have been common for decades in most public buildings.
Sydney Airport, NSW, Australia
In July 2024, SYD unveiled modernized restrooms in both Terminal 1 (international) and Terminal 2 (domestic), promising more to come in 2024. The new facilities are quite sleek and fashionable—many of the airport restroom upgrades around the world lately have been in response to customer complaints about yucky and dated facilities. These have warm wooden finishes and flattering ambient lighting. Not only are there all-gender restrooms but also large parent rooms with changing areas, feeding rooms and—drum roll—microwaves.
Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan, Taipei
The Taiwanese are very good about toilets. In fact, Taipei’s government announced in August 2024 that it would spend US$8.74 million to build gender-neutral restrooms nationwide, aiming for a total of 1,246 facilities within five years. They don’t have to spend much at the airport, though, because it already has an array of all-gender restrooms. They are quite intensely signed: there is the conventional “man” pictogram, the conventional “woman” pictogram, the “half skirt” person pictogram, the words “All gender restroom” in English and Mandarin, and pictograms of a toilet and/or a urinal. There is absolutely no question about what these lockable rooms are for and who is welcome to use them.
